“Charlotte, this is a snack brought from the kingdom as a meaning of the last apology. I didn’t consider the perspective of a friend who might be afraid. I apologize.”

As Evan respectfully bowed his head, Charlotte became awkward.

“Oh, there was no need to apologize. Actually, what Yongsik said was more accurate.”

“Call me Evan. And putting friends first was more important. You’re wise.”

Evan raised his head and smiled faintly.

Uncomfortable with the praise from the ashen-eyed child, Charlotte’s gaze went to the chocolate he had left.

However,

“Huh?”

Clearly, the chocolate placed on the desk was gone.

And naturally, Charlotte looked at Evan.

Locking eyes with Evan, who had secretly brought the chocolate, he hastily bit and chewed it.

Hazelnuts, coated chocolate sparkled for a moment in his mouth, but Ivan, who hadn’t even tasted the flavor, was caught by the collar by Charlotte.

“Hey!! That’s my chocolate!?”

“I, Your Highness, am of a high status, you see? I don’t eat such things often. Since I didn’t share it, it’s mine.”
“I, Your Highness, am of a high status, you see? Do I often eat things like this? Since I didn’t share, it’s mine.”

Ivannes pushed away Charlotte’s hand and hurriedly ran away, stumbling over himself.

“What did he say? What kind of kid is he!?”

As Charlotte breathed heavily and boldly faced the situation, Nia, who was watching, hesitated and extended her hand.

“Your Highness…”

The child held a small piece of diligently crushed chocolate in her tiny hand. Despite being a high-quality chocolate, it had melted well even at a low temperature, distorting its shape.

When Charlotte stopped in surprise at the sight, Evan, who was also looking at the chocolate, exclaimed in astonishment.

“Oh! Your Highness. I’ll send you another one separately next time.”

Seeing Nia’s embarrassed reaction, she realized she had done something rude.

While such incidents were common in the orphanage where food was not abundant, it seemed different here.

Feeling disheartened, Nia quickly withdrew her hand, hiding it behind her, and mumbled.

“Even if it’s smeared and not neat, it’s clean… I wanted to eat it because it looked delicious… Mian.”

Upon hearing this, Charlotte smiled warmly, pulled Nia’s hand, and put the deformed chocolate into her mouth.

Then, looking at the distorted expressions of the children and Evan,

“Don’t send it. Anything tastes bad when eaten alone. It’s more delicious when shared. Right, Nia? Shall we go wash our hands?”

“……!”

Upon hearing that, Evan seemed to stiffen somehow, but Nia, finally raising the corners of her mouth, left the classroom with Charlotte.

And then, a warm, brown-haired child approached Evan.

“I’m sorry you feel upset. Evan Yeongsik.”

“…Prince Yeongsik?”

“Yes, thank you for remembering.”

“Why suddenly comfort me…? I haven’t done anything…”

“Everyone wants to get closer to Her Highness. But we can’t become friends like that. It’s because we can’t treat Her Highness without hesitation like Nia and Ivan. Yeongsik feels the same way, right?”

Evan didn’t seem to understand what Cesare was trying to say, and he didn’t want to hear it either.

“Yeongsik too, right?”

“…….!”

Cesare, hoping to be helpful to his usual classmate as always, delivered the words.

And in response to Cesare’s kind smile, Evan, who had been momentarily frozen, imitated a smile, facing him.

‘…A meddlesome busybody.’

Lucia, who entered Lord Luwin’s mansion.

She was bewildered by the luxurious hospitality of dozens of people.

‘Could it be that he lied, saying he has an incurable disease, and I can save him?’

Flowers around her neck, not only shoulder massages but also admiring rare trees and saplings collected by Jaisang.

Luwin’s glamorous treasure trove and the underground wine cellar.

And portraits of the extended family of the Four Horsemen active across the continent.

Moreover, even people applauding just by walking, she judged it as hospitality she hadn’t experienced even after attending the final victory parade.

And, most strangely, the condition of the butler.
At first, she indulged in leisure, but as time passed, her neatly arranged hair, initially calm, began to flow with sweat, giving off an increasingly anxious vibe.

Then, another servant rushed over and whispered to her.

“What!? You still haven’t found it!?”

“?”

“I…! I apologize for surprising you. I stopped because I was shocked to find a nail!”

“…….”

An unbelievable excuse.

This surpassed the level of foolishness seen in the knights.

Seeing that, for some reason, he was telling lies.

“Well then, since the documents have been delivered, I should be going.”

“Oh, no! Please, provide more introduction about the family…”

At this rate, it seemed like they would trace back to the beginning of humanity from the rib of the Assyrian goddess.

“No, it’s getting late. I apologize, but may I borrow a carriage?”

“Yes… well, it can’t be helped. I’ll prepare it for you.”

Despite the steward’s objections, Lucia headed towards the exit. Then, a prepared carriage and ten more.

There were 40 horses.

‘What is going on?’

Lucia’s gaze made the steward’s mouth busy.

“We cannot let a distinguished person ride just any carriage. Would you like to choose one that you like? By the way, the horse I pointed out earlier doesn’t listen to commands, about the level of a wild horse. Please choose another one. That one is from the plateau, and although it has a good lung capacity, its hindquarter muscles are problematic…”

At this rate, it seemed like Luwinsgau’s words and the line were going to be on par.

In the end, she sighed and casually chose a horse.

“Wow, for a wild horse, it listens well. Well then, I
As the person who appeared as Leon from there met her gaze, he quickly disappeared.

By now, I understand.

He is not unwell.

He is simply avoiding himself.

‘Why on earth? Is it because my appearance is so unpleasant that he avoids coming to work for days?’

She felt somewhat upset.

Maybe that day was the same.

A strange guy who keeps bothering her.

At that moment, on the top of the mansion’s towering tower.

Avoiding someone’s gaze, Leon’s heart, which turned quickly, seemed about to burst.

The place he found in his restless state with a fever was a comforting place he often hid in his childhood.

Awakening from a brief sleep due to the loud noise, he looked out the window. Rather than the words that were brought out, the person with the most noticeable presence was her, fluttering her black hair.

“…No, it can’t be…”

Thinking of the illusion as a welcome, Leon, who thought of it as a hallucination, unconsciously turned away when his eyes met Lucia’s.

It was as if the emotions rushing in a state of a boiling fever turned into a child.

And suspicion began again.

‘No. It must be an illusion after all. The fever is too high.’

As he cautiously looked outside, there was indeed no one.

But like a thunderstorm approaching.

And soon, like lightning striking, there was a knocking sound on the door.

“It’s Lucia.”

For a moment, all of Leon’s time came to a halt.